Orchard heating system



Dec. 2l, 1937. T. w. BosE ORCHARD HEATING SYSTEM Filed June 5, 195'? .HMinval ww.

' Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES VPAT-ENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of plant husbandry and pertainsparticularly to improvements in means for maintaining an eventemperature in orchards.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide an improvedsystem of supplyingl heat to orchards whereby, during unseasonable coldspells of weather, damage to the plants may be prevented by surroundingthe samel with warmed air which will maintain' the general atmosphere ata temperature above the point where damage might be done to thevplants.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide in a system of the abovedescribed character, a novel means of heating and circulating air from anovelly constructed furnace through pipes for discharge in the vicinityof the orchard trees.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a heat distributingsystem for' orchards, novel detachable distributing units and means forcontrolling the escape of heated air therethrough.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding,however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformitywith the showing of the drawing but may be vchanged or modified so longas such changes and modifications mark no material departure from thesalient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing: I e

Figure 1 is'a view in plan of a heated air distributing systemconstructed in accordance with the present invention, with parts of thesystem being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of an end of a cross distributing'pipe.showing an air escape control plate.

Fig. -5 is a view in plan of a heated air escape 5 control means.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the numeral I generally designates the air heating structure formingpart of the' present nace housing the wall is provided with a suitabledoor 3 covering an entrance 'opening to the furnace and with air inletapertures 4 and disposed within the furnace is a burner unit of asuitable design for burning fuel oil or gas, the unit being suppliedrbythe pipe line 6 which is controlled by a valve 1. The burner unit 5 hasnot been illustrated in detail as the specic struc--A ture of the sameconstitutes no part of the present invention, it merely being necessarythat there be employed a unit which will properly burn 4oil or gas, asstated.

A portion of the top wall of the furnace is indicated by the numerallland this has leading thruit the products of combustion escape pipe 9.Except for the outlet or escape pipe 9 and the openings 4, the furnacecasing is closed so that when'theburner 5 is in operation, aconsiderable amount of heat will be maintained therein.

Disposedbeneath the surface of the ground and leading from one side ofthe furnace struczo ture, is a heated air conducting pipe I0 which4 is.connected with the drum or hollow plate -III which lies over the burnerunit 5 in the manner illustrated. The pipe I0 leads to a series ofdistributing pipes I2 which are also beneath the g5 surface of theground and pass between the rows of trees in the orchard, the positionsof which trees are indicated by the numerals I3.

Upon the side of the furnace structure oppo'-l site from thedistributing pipes I2, is the air inlet pipe |21ab which leads into thefurnace and is connected with the drum I0 as illustrated to lead airthereinto from above the surface of the ground and in the pipe I2 uponsuitably supported bearings II. is a shaft I5 on which is mounted ablower 35 fan I5. This shaft I5 also carries a pulley I1, preferably ofthe type to take a V--shaped driving belt and this pulley is connectedby means of the belt I8, with a similar pulley mounted upon the shaft ofa motor I 9 which may be electrically 40- driven or may be operated bygasoline or oil.

The pipe I2'l has an air pipe 20 leading thereinto from the interior ofthe furnace structure, A

as illustrated, so that when the fan I6 is operated by the motor I9,some air will be sucked from within the furnace into the pipe I2 anddriven forwardly through the drum tothe distributing pipes I2, beingadditionallyheated in its passage through that portion which lies overthe heat" plate II.,

Each of the distributing pipes I2 has extending upwardly therefrom atspaced intervals correspending withl the distance between the` trees ofeach row, a. pipe 2| which terminates adjacent the surface of the groundand is adapted to be closed by the removable cap 22, such as isillustrated particularly in Figure 2. When the cap 22 is removed, theremay be coupled with the upper end of the pipe 2| the end of the standardportion 23 of a substantially T-shaped pipe unit, which is indicatedgenerally by the numeral 24. These pipe units or Ts have the lateralarms 25 thereof inserted into extension pipes 26 so that heated airrising from the distributing pipe I2 into a T-24 will be carriedlaterally by the extensions 26 for discharge therefrom adjacent thesurface of the ground into the air beneath the adjacent trees.

In addition to having the ground level distributing means whichcomprises the T 24 and the extension pipes 26, each distributing pipe l2has extending therefrom beneath the ground, aflateral pipe 21 which, atits outer end has an upturned portion 28 which extends a substantialdistance above the surface of the ground to dis-` charge heated airdirectly upwardly. .A'Ihese upwardly discharging pipes and ground levelpipes may be used simultaneously or independently of one another, ifdesired. When the ground level pipes are employed it will be apparentthat the heated air may be discharged laterally over the the groundsurface Aaround the tree trunks to warm the ground vapor before itcontacts the trunk and the tree branches. y 1 In order that 4the escapeof heated air from 4the ends of the pipe portions 28, as well as fromscribed. 'I'he outer end of pipe 26 has securedthereto the angularbraket 29, one arm of which extends across the adjacent open end of thepipe and carries a bolt 30 which passes through an aperture in a coverplate 3| which is located over the open pipe end. By means of a wire 3|nor any other suitable device attached to the plate the position of theplate 3| upon the pipe end may bevadjusted, by oscillation on the bolt,to control the amount of heated airescaping from the pipe and the platecan be held in adjusted position by the frictional contactv maintainedbetween it and the pipe by tightening screw 30.

In Figs. 2 and 5 there is shown a modified form of the heat controlplate by which the escape of heat from the upwardly directed outletpipes 28 is controlled. In this form the plate is generally indicated bythe numeral 32, and it is provided with theintegral resilient arms 33which extend `from one face and which are separated a distance tofacilitate their engagement about theend of a pipe 28 so as to have rmfrictional contact with the outer surface of the same.

A handle 34 is secured to each plate 32, and by this means theplate canbe raised or lowered relative to the adjacent end of the pipe on whichit is mounted so thatv the size of the area between air may be made tosurround the trunks of the trees and also to envelop the upper parts orfoliage of the trees. By means of the ground level pipes, the heated airmay be discharged directly against the tree trunks and by using thevertically disposed pipes 28, additional heated air may be dischargeddirectly upwardly into the branches of the trees. Regulation of airflow' is readily controlled by means of the damper plates described andit will also be apparent that the ground level pipes may be closedcompletely so that the vertical pipes only may be made use of or thereverse method may be employed.

I claim: f

1. In a heat distributing system of the character described, a heatingfurnace including a casing and a heating unit therein, air conductingmeans passing through said casing over said heating unit, distributingpipes connected with said means, said means and distributing pipes beingbeneath the ground surface, means for forcing circulation of air throughthe conducting means and said pipes, and heated air escape means for thedistributing pipes comprising upwardly directed nipples andsubstantially T- shaped pipe units each coupled with a nipple andadapted to discharge heated air laterally over the surface of theground.

2. In an orchard heating system of the character described, a furnacestructure including a closed casing having a burner unit therein, airconducting means passing entirely through and closed againstcommunication with the interior of the furnace casing, air distributingpipes connected with said conducting means, air circulating means insaid conducting means, means for drawing air from the interior of thefurnace casing into the conducting means by said circulating means, thatportion of the conducting means lying in the casing being disposed oversaid burner unit, and tubular distributing arms connected with saiddistributing pipes at spaced intervals and having upwardly directedoutlets opening to the atmosphere above the ground.

3. y In an orchard heating system of the character described, a furnacestructure including a closed casing having a burner unit therein, airconducting means passing entirely through and closed againstcommunication with the interior of the furnace casi-ng, air distributingpipes connected with said conducting means, air circulating means insaid conducting means, means for drawing air from the interior of thefurnace casing into the conducting means by said circulating means, thatportion of the conducting means in the casing being disposed over saidburner unit, tubular distributing arms connected with and projectinglaterally from said distributing pipes at spaced intervals and havingupwardly directed y means all being disposed beneath rthe surface of theground', al plurality of outlet'nipples .connected with and extendingupwardly from said outlet pipes leading from said distributing pipes.

lateral pipes thru thesuriace of the ground.

' mhatantially 1'shaped pipe units coupled with said nipples and'arranged to distribute heated air over the surface of the ground, andpipe sections leading laterally from said lateral pipes beneath thesurface o! the ground and `terminating in upwardly extending outlet endswhich are disposed above the ground surface.

5. In an orchard heating system including an lo air heater. undergroundheated air. distributing horizontal ground level pipes coupled with saidof heated air from said outlet pipes comprising a plate overlying theend of each outlet pipe. a bracketsecured to the outlet pipe and havingan arm extending across the adjacent plate, and a pivot memberconnecting said arm with the adjacent plate upon which the plate maybeoscillated across the adjacent pipe end.

l 'rnmoDoRE w. Bosa.

